Nowhere Else to Turn
by Cajun Quinn
Summary: A type of AU piece that features the Thieves Guild and the X-Men. It's hard to explain. Ch. 3 now up! More coming soon!
1. Chapter One

Nowhere Else to Turn

(NOTE: The boys inspired me to write something of an AU piece. This follows no timeline created by either Marvel or me. I haven't bought a comic in months so I have no idea what's going on in any of the different comics. In this story, Remy and Emil are seventeen and sixteen-and-a-half respectfully. Remy is a fairly new member of the X-Men and yes some of them will feature in this story. The basic idea is that Emil accidentally sees an argument between his father and uncle, with the result of his uncle Marcel killing his father. When Marcel discovers Emil watching, he threatens his nephew. Emil, scared, grief-stricken and unable to confide in anybody in the Guild, heads to Westchester, which is where Remy's latest letter to him was postmarked. With the exception of Francois and Marcel [and Sebastien and Jacques], none of them belong to me, I'm just using them. Forget what you know or what you've read. This one is different. Hey, it's AU, remember? I just hope I can do what they're inspiring me to do.) 

  


Chapter One

Sixteen-year-old Emil Lapin stretched and yawned. He glanced at his watch and raised an eyebrow. It was later than he thought it was, but it didn't really matter to him. He had the hacking program finished, now all he had to do was get his cousin Theoren so they could test it. That could wait until morning though. Emil was tired. He saved the program and then absent-mindedly ran a hand though his thick red hair. He spun around in his chair a couple of times and decided with another yawn that it was time to go home and see what his father was up to. 

Emil turned off the computer and got up, finally becoming aware of his surroundings again. The library of the New Orleans Thieves Guild was good-sized, for being underground and unknown of by the general public. The Guild held meetings there when they needed to, but it was mostly used for research and computer-work. As it was rather late at night, only two people were in the library and Emil was one of them. The other was the Guild librarian, Minister Tome, who always creeped Emil out. He had a mean streak that ran deep, and didn't like most of the other Guild members. Emil paused briefly by the older man's desk on his way out into the tunnels that connected the Theives Guild underground homes. 

"'Night, Minister Tome." 

Tome looked up rather menacingly at the lanky teenager who had just dared to speak to him and disturb the silence of his library. "Done already?" He asked, his voice dripping with its usual sarcasm. 

"T'ings like dat take time, Minister Tome." Emil replied with a tired smile. He chose to ignore the sarcasm. 

"Yeah well, computers make entirely too much noise for my likin'...all dat clickin' an' clackin'..." Tome muttered. 

Emil raised an eyebrow. "Faster den writin' it all down on paper. Or would you rather live in de dark ages?" 

"Go on get outta here. I got work to do." 

Emil did as he was told and left the library, shaking his head as he walked. On his way, he met Tome's best friend, Minister Hoard, the Guild accountant. If any pair of best friends could be considered exact opposites, it was Tome and Hoard. While Tome was mean and creepy, Hoard generally looked like he never fully woke up. Both men were brilliant, Emil knew, but it never ceased to amaze him how they managed to be friends. 

Like most of the thieves, Emil enjoyed walking along the dark, somewhat eerie tunnels. His family had used the abandoned tunnels and sewers under the city of New Orleans for centuries. Living in houses like normal people was unheard of for the Guild, and they wouldn't have it any other way. They were creatures of the dark, and found the tunnels comforting. The tunnels were lit with candles along the walls so there was no need of flashlights, and the candles gave the tunnels a less imposing feel. As Emil neared the section of underground rooms where his part of the Guild family, Clan Lapin, lived, he paused, having heard something that didn't sound quite right. 

"Marcel, I will do what I t'ink is best for dis fam'ly an' I don' need your help!" Francois Lapin, Emil's father and head of the clan, said angrily. If he had known his son could hear, he probably would not have said his words so loudly, but it couldn't be stopped now. Emil frowned and silently moved closer to the rooms, remaining hidden as he watched his father and his Uncle Marcel argue. 

"I'm startin' to t'ink you don' have de slightest idea what's best for dis fam'ly, Francois. You're too caught up wit' Theoren an' Henri to pay attention to de needs of your own clan." Marcel retorted. "Next t'ing, you'll be wantin' to take Emil an' join Clan LeBeau permanently." 

"You leave my son out of dis, Marcel. Why don' you jus' say it? You hated dat I didn' go along wit' you an' everyone else in de vote of confidence in 1922, an' you hated de fact dat I married Jean-Luc's sister." Francois countered. "Hell you're prob'ly jus' jealous b'cause you were never in line to be leader of Clan Lapin an' you never will be." 

Emil knew from past experience that his father and uncle would fight all night if it struck their fancy to do so. He'd seen them do it before, after all, even though they didn't know he'd witnessed their frequent arguments. He wasn't prepared for what happened next though, and the shock and horror of it almost made him throw up. 

"Dat was de wrong t'ing to say, mon frere..." Marcel said, his voice quiet and deadly. If Francois hadn't been so angry he would have caught the warning signals his brother was giving off. As it was, he wasn't listening for danger signs and was caught off guard when the attack came. 

Marcel swiftly pulled a ten-inch knife out of his Thieves Guild uniform and before either Francois or Emil realized what was happening, he used the knife to stab his older brother in the chest. The thieves weren't good fighters in general, but they were all trained in self-defense combat and could use knives as weapons if the need arose. Marcel knew exactly what he was doing, and his aim was right on target. Francois grabbed his chest, gasping, and sank to his knees. 

"Marcel...why...?" He managed to say before tumbling over onto the ground and gasping out his last breath. 

"B'cause you d'served it. Why else?" Marcel replied to his brother's dead body. He knew that because Emil wasn't twenty-one, he wasn't technically able to take over as head of Clan Lapin. And that, to Marcel and the rest of the Thieves Guild, meant that he, Marcel, was the new clan leader. Which is just what he wanted. 

Emil leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, trying to regulate his breathing and keep from crying. The last thing he needed was for Marcel to discover his presence, but fate was not working with Emil that night. He opened his eyes and looked into the room, focusing on his father's body. A sob rose in his throat and he tried to stifle it rather unsuccessfully. He choked as a result and Marcel suddenly looked up in his direction. 

_"Merde..." _Emil cursed to himself. 

"Emil Francois Lapin, get in here right dis second!" Marcel commanded. 

With a grief-stricken sigh, Emil did as he was told and joined his uncle. The tears that were forming in his eyes threatened to spill over, but were quickly overruled by fear. 

Marcel went over to his nephew and said, his voice harsh and venomous, "You saw nothin', compris? Dis didn' jus' happen." 

"Yes it did..." Emil choked out. 

Marcel shook his head. "Uh-uh." He reached out and pushed Emil against the wall, pinning him there. Emil noticed with a sinking feeling that his uncle had the knife in his hand again. "In de mornin', I'm goin' to tell Jean-Luc an' everyone else dat de Assassins killed him while he was out on patrol. An' you are gon' keep your mouth shut if you don' wan' join him. Do you understand dat? I didn' kill him. You didn' see anythin' an' derefore you ain' gon' say anythin' to anybody in dis Guild or I will kill you too." 

Emil nodded silently, unable to do anything but agree with his uncle's crazy plan. He went into his room while Marcel moved Francois' body and cleaned up the blood on the ground. Emil pretended to be asleep when Marcel checked on him awhile later, but he stayed awake all night, alternately crying over his father's murder and trying to think of a plan. Just before dawn, he came to a conclusion. He quietly checked on his uncle and the rest of his clan. Seeing that all were sleeping or on guard duty, he put a few necessities into his backpack and pulled on his Thieves Guild uniform. Then he left his home, stopping only momentarily to speak with his cousin, Louis. 

"Where you goin' dis time of de mornin', kiddo?" Louis asked as Emil tried to slip by him. "Got some work to do or somethin'?" 

Emil stopped with a silent sigh. "You could say dat, yeah." 

Louis nodded. "Okay. Be careful. See ya later." 

"Yeah." Emil replied and kept going. If Louis had known his young cousin's intentions, he would have done anything possible to stop him, and Emil knew it. 

Emil walked along the tunnels, going back to the library, where he found Ministers Tome and Hoard dozing in lounge chairs. He didn't dare turn on a computer; he didn't want to wake them up. Instead, he took a piece of paper and a pen from Tome's desk and sat down as quietly as he could, writing a letter. 

"Uncle Jean-Luc: Something happened last night. I can't talk about it with anybody here, but I have to talk about it to someone so I'm going to find Remy. I'm sorry. I just have nowhere else to go right now...I can't even tell Tante Mattie, although I'm sure she knows the difference. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise. Please don't worry about me too much. I'll be okay. Love Emil" 

Emil folded the letter and scrawled Jean-Luc's name on the outside. Then he left the library as silently as he'd entered it and walked along the tunnels towards the center of the maze, where Clan LeBeau, the head Guild clan and his dead mother's family, lived. He lucked out in that his cousin Henri, Jean-Luc's son, who was on guard that morning, wasn't around when he got there. He really hadn't wanted to try to explain to Henri what he was doing. Henri was smarter than Louis, and would've seen right through Emil's cover. He quickly went over to the table in the center of the room and put the note on it before slipping into the shadows again and heading away from the only home he'd ever known. 

***** 

Once he got above-ground, Emil, squinting in the early morning sunlight, sat on a bench and pulled Remy's most recent letter out of his backpack. He studied the envelope, and realized he had a long trip ahead of him. The letter was postmarked Westchester, New York. He sighed and put the letter back. 

_"I ain' got enough money to fly dere..." _He thought miserably. _"Surely de bus is cheaper, but it's gon' take forever!"___

Emil got up again and walked to the bus station. He knew where it was because he'd gone there with Tante Mattie before. When he got there he went over to the counter, feeling very out of place and nervous. "Uhm...hi." He said to the girl behind the counter. 

"Hello dere, what can I do for you dis mornin'?" The pretty blonde replied with a smile that was much too cheerful for that time of the morning. 

"I need to go to Westchester, New York." Emil told her. "An' I need to leave as soon as possible." That was the truth, too. Emil knew that once his letter was discovered and the Guild was notified that he'd left, they'd be all over the airport, train station and bus station, looking for him. He had to get out of town quickly. 

"Well let's see what we can do here now." The girl said, punching a few keys on her computer. "I can get you to Westchester, but dere'll be quite a few stops, an' one bus change. First bus leaves here in fifteen minutes. You up for dat?" 

"Yeah...dat'd be great. Don' care 'bout how many stops dere are...but where does de change take place?" Emil asked. 

"Memphis. Dat's de only change you'll have to make. An' most of de stops are jus' for gas an' food an' stuff. It's still gon' take quite awhile t'ough..." 

"Dat's okay." 

"Great. Can I get your name for the ticket?" The girl asked. 

Normally the Thieves Guild had very specific rules for names to use when traveling, but Emil didn't want to go by those rules this time because if he did, it would make him easier to track. He decided to go close to the truth. "Francois Devereaux." He told her, using his father's name and his paternal grandmother's maiden name. 

"Okay here you go." The girl said, handing Emil his ticket. "It's bus number 746, right out dere by de door. Have a nice trip." 

"T'anks." 

***** 

Ten minutes later, as bus 746 was pulling out of the station on its way to Memphis with Emil as one of the passengers, Henri LeBeau was urgently waking his father, Jean-Luc, up from a rather peaceful sleep. Henri had returned from his guard patrol to discover Emil's note on the table. Recognizing his cousin's handwriting and knowing his father wouldn't mind, Henri had opened the letter and read what Emil had to say. After Jean-Luc had read the note, he looked at Henri.   
  
"First of all, what de blazes is he talkin' 'bout an' second...we have to stop him." 

"I don' know, Papa." Henri said. "He says Tante Mattie prob'ly knows, maybe we should ask her. An' as for stoppin' him, we might be too late." 

"Well, let's find out, shall we?" Jean-Luc suggested. 

Within thirty minutes, the entire Guild, with the notable execption of most of Clan Lapin, was assembled in the library. Jean-Luc quickly took charge. "Emil has taken off to find Remy in New York. I don't know exactly why at de moment, but I'm plannin' on findin' out very soon. I need six volunteers right now to go to the airport, the train station and tbe bus station to either try to stop him or to find out how he's travelin'." 

Henri and his wife, Mercy, exchanged looks and came to a silent agreement. Henri voiced it for them. "Mercy an' I will check de airport." 

Two of the older members of the Guild, Sebastien Delacour and Jacques Gritault, held a brief, whispered conference and following it, Sebastien announced, "Jacques an' I will go to de train station." 

"Very good. T'ank you." Jean-Luc replied. He noticed that another of his nephews, Theoren Marceaux, was about to speak up and continued quickly. "Non, Theoren. I want you to come wit' me to try an' find out jus' what's go Emil so freaked out dat he doesn' t'ink he can talk to us 'bout it. Any takers for de bus station?" 

"Genard an' I will do it." Claude Potier said quietly, speaking for himself and his best friend, Genard Alouette. 

"Okay." Jean-Luc sighed with relief. He was always glad that his thieves were open to volunteering to do things. It took the pressure off of him to order someone to do them. "Dis meetin' is adjourned until further notice. De six of you go, an' report back to me as soon as you learn anythin'. Theo, you come wit' me. I want to get to de bottom of dis." 

"I'm confused, Jean-Luc." Theoren commented as they walked along the tunnels. "I mean, I've read dat note, an' I don' have a clue what de kid's talkin' 'bout either." 

"Well I'm hopin' someone here can shed some light on de situation, Theo." Jean-Luc replied. They had reached the home of Clan Lapin. Louis was still standing guard. 

"Louis, did you see Emil dis mornin'?" Jean-Luc asked. 

The red-haired man thought for a moment and nodded. "Oui. He said he had some work to do. I didn' question it. He's usually workin' on somethin', y'know." 

"Yeah well you should've questioned it." Theoren commented. "De kid's on his way to find Remy in New York an' we don' know why. Any ideas?" 

"Non...but I ain' seen Francois or Marcel since last night. T'ought it was funny dat dey didn' go to de meetin' you called dis mornin'...Maryse jus' told me to stay here." 

"You did de right t'ing, Louis." Jean-Luc assured him. "It is funny dat Francois an' Marcel are missin' t'ough...Not like dem to miss a meetin', especially when it concerns de well-bein' of a member of deir clan." 

While Theoren continued to speak with Louis, Jean-Luc went and peeked into his brother-in-law's room. Empty. So was Marcel's room. Something wasn't right, and Jean-Luc knew it. He frowned in frustration and was about to get Theoren and go visit Tante Mattie, the Guild's spiritual healer and mother-figure when Marcel suddenly returned, carrying the obviously dead body of Francois. 

"Jean-Luc! T'ank God you're here! De Assassins...Francois...where's Emil?" Marcel gasped out, playing his act for all it was worth. 

"Marcel, what on earth is goin' on?" Jean-Luc demanded, ignoring the question. 

"Francois was killed...murdered by de Assassins...I jus' found out dis mornin'...it must've happened when he was out patrolin' last night..." Marcel practically sobbed, causing Theoren, standing near Jean-Luc, to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. He didn't believe the other man for a moment and neither did Jean-Luc, from the look on the Guild leader's face. 

"While it's obvious dat Francois has been killed..." Jean-Luc commented. "It doesn' explain why Emil would suddenly run off to find Remy an' leave me a note sayin' dat somethin' happened he can' talk 'bout." Both he and Theoren watched Marcel sharply for his reaction. 

"Emil's gone? Maybe he saw it happen, I don' know. I'm surprised he didn' come to me if dat was de case." Marcel smoothly answered without missing a beat. 

"We got people out tryin' to find him or find out his method of travel. We might be too late to bring him back, but we're tryin'." Jean-Luc said, feeling a strange pit in his stomach he wasn't used to. Marcel was lying, he just couldn't prove it and he didn't know what the truth was yet. It angered and frustrated him to no end. 

"I have to tell de rest of our clan..." Marcel said softly. "Dey're gon' be devastated..." 

"Prob'ly." Theoren muttered. He was horribly saddened to learn of his best friend's death and, because he wasn't much of an emotional person, he hid it with bitterness and anger. "T'ough I doubt dey'll b'lieve you any more'n I do..." 

"What was dat, Theo?" Marcel asked, raising his eyebrows. 

"Nothin'." 

Jean-Luc shot a warning glance at his nephew, and Theoren shut his mouth. "We'll take Francois' body to Tante Mattie so she can prepare him for burial. An' when we hear news of Emil, we'll let you know." 

"T'ank you..." Marcel replied with a relieved half-smile. Deep down he was very angry at Emil for having run off and left a note. He knew Jean-Luc and Theoren didn't believe his story, mainly because of the note Emil had left for them. The kid was ruining everything even though he wasn't even there, and Marcel suddenly regretted not having killed the brat before something like this could have happened. Emil was a witness to the truth, and therefore should have been dealt with permanently and immediately so he couldn't tell anyone what had really happened. 

***** 

Meanwhile, bus 746 rolled along the highway heading towards Memphis. There weren't many people on it and Emil was grateful for that. It meant he could sit by himself and not have to answer any questions from curious busybodies. He slept a great deal of the way to Memphis and by the time the bus stopped at the station in Memphis, Emil was ready to get off and stretch a little before boarding the second bus of his trip. 

He learned from the man at the ticket counter there that the bus heading to Westchester, New York, would arrive in an hour. It was bus 1092 and would take him directly to Westchester without him having to change buses again. There were many stops along the way, but that was to be expected. Emil thanked the man and decided to go for a little walk while he waited for bus 1092. 

Realizing he was starving, Emil took the opportunity to find a place to eat that wasn't too far from the bus station. He lucked out and found a Subway sandwich shop just down the street. Shrugging and deciding he probably wouldn't find much better, he went into the restaurant and got in line. When it was his turn, he found himself facing a bubbly brunette with a friendly smile. 

"Hi! Can I help you?" 

Emil blinked. What was with people being so damned cheerful and upbeat today? "Yeah...can I have a six-inch melt on white bread, s'il vous plait?" 

"Sure! What kind of cheese would you like? We have cheddar, monterey jack and mozzarella." The brunette asked him as she put the bacon in the microwave behind her and cut the bread for his sub. 

"Uh...monterey jack, I guess. I don' know..." 

While Emil was ordering and eating his lunch and waiting for the next bus, six members of the Thieves Guild were reporting to Jean-Luc that they had not succeeded in stopping the teen from leaving the city. 

"He took de bus, we know dat much." Claude confirmed after the others said they'd found no sign of him at the airport and the train station. "Girl dere told us a kid who looks exactly like we described got on a bus first t'ing dis mornin' headin' to Memphis." 

Genard took up the story. "She said dat's where he had to change buses. De second one would take him to Westchester. He's prob'ly in Memphis by now, maybe even on de second bus already. We don' know." 

"What do we do, Papa?" Henri asked quietly. 

"Much as I hate to say it," Jean-Luc sighed. "We let him go. While I still don' t'ink Marcel told us de truth, I can' prove dat he's lyin'. If Emil does know his father's dead, dis trip will prob'ly do him some good." 

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter Two

Nowhere Else to Turn

(NOTE: Emil finishes his trip to Westchester and runs into some trouble while trying to find the Mansion, while Remy has a hard time concentrating on his life due to some nagging feelings.) 

Chapter Two 

"Remy." 

Scott Summers waited for a reaction from the teen. When he got none, the rest of the class giggled. Scott glared at them, but said nothing, because he knew they couldn't see his glare behind his glasses. He tried again. 

"Remy!" 

Still no reaction. Remy's thoughts were very far away, and it was going to take more than Scott saying his name to bring him back to the subject at hand, in this case, math. Scott didn't realize this though, and, getting more frustrated, he tried again. 

_"REMY!"_ He practically yelled. 

This time he got a response. Remy blinked and looked up at Scott with a devilish smile on his face, his red eyes still looking preoccupied, but not nearly as much. "Oui?" 

Scott was about to reply when he thought better of it and checked his watch. Class was over. He shook his head in disgust. "Class is dismissed. Don't forget to work on the problems from chapter five. We'll go over them tomorrow. Remy, could I see you for a moment?" 

Remy nodded and waited for the rest of the class to leave, giggling at him as they went. He shrugged it off and looked at Scott, who was leaning on his desk, facing the daydreamer with his arms folded across his chest. After a few moments, Scott said, 

"Do you find math that boring, Remy?" 

"Non..." Remy replied. 

"Then what is it? Usually you at least look like you're paying attention even if you're not. Today's different. What's on your mind?" Scott was twenty-one and while he personally didn't like math all that much himself, he tried to make it as interesting as possible for the students in his classes. He learned a long time ago that if things seem fun and interesting, they're easier to learn and remember. He just wished his own teachers before he came to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning had realized it as well. 

Remy shrugged. "Nothin', Scott. I'm sorry." 

Scott knew Remy wasn't being honest, but decided not to push the teen. "Okay. Just try to pay more attention in the future. You may go. I don't want to make you too late for history." 

Remy nodded again and sighed as he left the classroom and headed down the hallway towards his history class, which was taught by one of his favorite people there, Ororo Munroe. He didn't want to be late either. Ororo was a good teacher, even better than Scott sometimes. But this day, Remy found himself unable to concentrate in history either, which annoyed him and his teacher. He found himself having to stay after history as well. 

"Remy what is wrong with you today?" Ororo asked him when the class had left. 

"I don' know, I'm sorry..." Remy replied. 

In truth, Remy just hadn't wanted to explain it. He had been raised and trained by the New Orleans Thieves Guild, and part of that training was the ability to sense when a member of the Guild was nearby. He had been getting the feeling all day that something was desperately wrong, and that feeling was also telling him that someone was coming to find him. Instinct told him that someone was Emil, and that worried Remy. He knew Emil hadn't arrived in Westchester yet, but would sometime soon, and Remy didn't want to think about the reception his cousin would get once he found the mansion. Knowing Emil, the younger thief would bypass the security systems and break in to try and find Remy without having to deal with anyone else. Remy's mind wandered to Logan and his keen senses, and hoped Emil would have enough common sense to just knock on the door. 

Ororo's long white hair tumbled down her back as she shook her head. She knew as well as Scott had that Remy wasn't telling the truth. "Jean told me you did not pay attention in English this morning either. And you failed to follow Logan's instructions during your Danger Room session." She told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Remy if there is something bothering you, you can tell us, you know that, right?" 

"It's complicated, I can' go into it right now...jus'...you'll find out what's goin' on soon enough, if I'm not mistaken." Remy said. He could only imagine what his teachers would say when Emil showed up. 

"All right." Ororo said. 

***** 

Meanwhile, bus 1092 was quickly making its way to Westchester. There were more people on this bus, but Emil still had a seat to himself and was glad of it. He was happy he'd taken the bus, as well, because it gave him the opportunity to see much of the American countryside he never would have seen had he taken a plane. To be sure, if he'd flown, his trip wouldn't have taken so long, but Emil didn't mind that very much. The only thing that bothered him was that he was beginning to realize it would be dark when he reached his destination, and he had no idea where he was going once he got there. 

However, the bus pulled into the station in Westchester in due time, and Emil had been right. It was a cool, dark night by the time he arrived, and he sighed. _"Where on earth do I go now?"_

Emil decided to just walk. He did his best to enjoy the scenery of the city but his enjoyment was overshadowed by two simple facts he couldn't ignore. The first was, he was desperately saddened by his father's death and felt if he didn't let his grief out soon he would snap. The second was more simple. He was cold, being unused to the climate of New England, and couldn't stop shivering. 

He stopped at a bench in a park not far from the bus terminal and pulled Remy's letter out of his backpack again. "Merde." he cursed under his breath. "An' here I t'ought maybe Remy'd make t'ings easy for me jus' dis once..." While the letter was postmarked Westchester, Remy had neglected to put a return address on it, so even if he found someone to ask for directions, Emil didn't know where he was supposed to go. 

Emil kept walking, wishing he knew where Remy was. He was tired and hungry; it had been a long time since he ate his last meal in Memphis and after he checked his pockets, he realized he didn't have any more money. _"Great...I'm gon' starve to death b'fore I find Remy..."_ Lost in thought, Emil didn't notice the young man coming towards him on the sidewalk and almost bumped into him. 

"Hey! Watch where you're goin'!" The other man snapped, glaring at Emil. 

"Sorry..." Emil hastily replied, moving away to give the man some room. "Uhm...dere many mansions 'round here, d'you know?" 

"What kinda question is that?" The man asked. 

"Came here t'visit a friend of mine who's goin' to school here. Told me de school's in a mansion. T'ought dat was pretty neat." Emil explained easily, not missing a beat. "But he never told me where de school was." 

The man thought for a few minutes and then a smile broke his features for the first time. "Your friend must be at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. It's on Greymalkin Lane. Keep following this street until you reach Lawton Drive. Turn right onto Lawton, follow that until you come to the fifth stop sign. Take a left at the fifth sign and you're on Greymalkin. It's a pretty long road, but I'm sure you'll be able to find what you're looking for." 

"T'anks." Emil said, gratitude in his voice. He moved on, not wishing to keep the man any longer, and followed the directions he was given. Soon enough he was walking along the tree-lined Greymalkin Lane, absently thinking to himself that it was more like being in the country than in a city or town. He rather liked it, and in spite of his growing unease, which he couldn't explain, he enjoyed the walk. 

***** 

At the mansion, Remy was talking to his friend Rogue, who had cornered him after dinner to demand why he had forgotten to meet her when their classes were over. They had planned on hanging out down near the lake, but Remy never showed up. 

"Rogue, chere, I'm sorry...I jus' forgot, okay?" Remy weakly defended himself. 

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "You promised to come with me, Remy. Ah waited for over half an hour for you and you never came." 

"In case you didn' notice earlier, chere, my mind hasn' 'xactly been on t'ings today. I've been preoccupied an' I wish--" 

Remy stopped in mid-sentence, a look of concentrated fear and unease crossing his face. His red-on-black eyes flashed dangerously. Emil was near. Very near. Remy could sense his cousin's presence and suddenly knew that Emil was in trouble. He had to go help him. Needed to. 

"Remy, what is it?" Rogue asked. 

Before Remy got a chance to explain how he knew his cousin was in the area and in some sort of trouble, the two teens were joined by Logan, who had decided it was a good time for Remy to make up the botched Danger Room session from earlier in the day. 

"Hey, kid, why don't you and Rogue join me for a trainin' session? If ya actually listen to me this time I'll forget this morning's session." 

"Logan, I really--" Remy began. Logan looked at him with a low growl. He wasn't going to give Remy any more chances like this one. Remy sighed in defeat. "Oui, okay." 

***** 

Emil had found the school without much trouble, but due to his hunger and fatigue, his instincts and senses were not up to their usual high standards. He was unaware of the four young men following him until it was too late, not that he could have done much to defend himself had he known they were there. They caught him completely off-guard, just outside the main gates of the mansion, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground. 

"That's a mutie school!" One of the older teens said. "He must be a mutie too!" 

Another boy grabbed Emil and hauled him to his feet. "You a mutie like everyone else who goes to that school?" 

"Non..." Emil replied softly, wishing he was anywhere else. 

"You lyin' to me?" The boy asked. "Everyone knows only muties go to that school. Keep them away from the normal people! Good place for them, too. If you ain't a mutie, why you goin' there, huh?" 

"My cousin...is dere..." Emil said, trying desperately to keep his voice steady. 

"Good enough reason." The first boy commented. 

"For what...?" Emil asked, suddenly more afraid. 

"For beatin' the livin' crap outta you, that's what for." The second boy laughed. "You got a mutie cousin, that makes you no better than he is, so it's a good enough reason to punish you." 

Emil squirmed and struggled to escape. He gained freedom for a brief moment before the four boys had him again. The largest of them held him by his arms so he couldn't get away, while the other three took turns punching him in the stomach and face. He faded into unconsciousness and they dropped him, finding no fun in the game anymore. Emil remained on the cold, hard ground just outside the property of the Xavier Institute, bruised, bleeding and unconscious for nearly an hour before he was discovered. 

***** 

"Scott, stop the car!" Jean Grey exclaimed suddenly, having spotted someone lying on the ground near the gates. 

Scott did as he was told, bringing the car he was driving to an abrupt halt. He didn't know why Jean had suddenly demanded he stop, but he didn't question her. His girlfriend was a powerful psychic, and if she wanted him to stop, she had a good reason. And that was good enough for Scott. It didn't take him long to see what Jean had seen though.   
  
"Oh my lord...Jean is that a...?" 

"A boy? Yes, Scott. Lord...he doesn't look any older than Remy and Rogue..." Jean commented. She got out of the car with Scott close behind her. Kneeling down beside the beaten stranger, she turned him over and gasped at the severity of his injuries. "Someone beat the daylights out of him...poor kid..." 

"Let's get him into the mansion so Hank can take a look at him and get him fixed up." Scott suggested. 

"You read my mind for once. I'm impressed." Jean said. It was meant as a joke, but she said it seriously, and neither of them laughed. Before she moved to allow Scott room to pick the teenager up, she gently ran her fingers through his thick red hair. _"Where did you come from?" _She asked in thought. She didn't expect an answer, and didn't get one, but she knew sooner or later the boy would waken and the question would be answered then. 

Scott and Jean immediately took their visitor to the MedLab where the school's resident medical genius, a rather intimidating but very friendly fanged, clawed and blue-furred beast of a man named Dr. Henry McCoy instructed them to place him on one of the beds. Hank ran a few basic tests on his new patient, and while he awaited the results of those, he cleaned up the visible injuries. Jean stayed with him, but Scott had decided Professor Xavier should know about the newcomer. Within a few minutes, he had returned with the hoverchair-bound founder of the X-Men and the Institute close behind. 

"Does he have any identification at all?" Professor Xavier asked. 

"No." Hank replied. "We will have to wait until he wakes up before we can have our questions answered." A nearby machine beeped and Hank smiled. "Except for this question." He went over and got the test results. 

"Well?" Scott prompted. The main question on everyone's mind, aside from the identity of the teen, was whether or not he was a mutant. 

"He isn't a mutant, which begs the question why was he beaten up so badly?" Hank said. 

"If he isn't a mutant, who is he, and what's he doing here then?" Jean asked, lightly touching the teenager's pale, bruised face. 

"I t'ink I can answer some of dat." Remy said from the doorway of the MedLab. 

To Be Continued 


	3. Chapter Three

Nowhere Else to Turn

(NOTE: Questions are answered, the truth is revealed and Emil gets permission to stay at the mansion for the weekend.) 

Chapter Three 

The adults turned and looked at Remy, who was leaning in the doorway with a relieved look on his face. He knew that his cousin was injured, but was otherwise okay, at least physically. Emotionally, maybe not, but Remy couldn't tell just then. He needed to speak with Emil first and get to the bottom of his wayward younger cousin's sudden trip to Westchester. 

"What can you tell us about him Remy? Do you know him?" Professor Xavier asked. 

Remy chuckled. "Know 'im? You could say dat, Professor. He's my cousin. An' one of de best friends I've ever had. He's also de reason I wasn' payin' much 'tention in class today, but I'd rather not get into dat. It ain' important." 

"What's his name?" Jean asked, looking sympathetically down at the still-unconscious Emil's bruised face. 

"His name is Emil." Remy replied. "An' I'm willin' to bet dere's a whole lotta people down in Nawlins worried sick 'bout 'im, too. Dey ain' gon' be surprised...mon cousin tends to act impulsively...but dey will be worried. I'll have to call 'em later an' tell 'em he's okay." He looked at Hank. "He is okay, right...?" 

"Well he got beaten up very badly, we're not really sure why, to be honest with you Remy. But yes, he is okay. Or he will be, with rest and nourishment." Hank replied. 

"I'm curious as to why he's here and why he got beaten up in the first place." Scott commented. 

"When he wakes up, I'll find out an' be sure to let you know." Remy's voice was slightly sarcastic. Whatever had brought Emil to Westchester was Guild business and that wasn't something to be openly shared with non-Guild members. 

"We do have a right to know these things...we don't know what we're getting into, having him here." Scott retorted. "He may be your cousin, Remy, but he could be dangerous and you could be keeping that fact from us." 

Remy rolled his eyes, prompting Professor Xavier to shoot him a warning glance. "He ain' dang'rous, Scott, don' worry 'bout dat." 

Scott was about to say something else when they were interrupted by movement and a slight groan on the bed beside them. Emil was regaining consciousness, much to Remy's unspoken relief. The assembled X-Men started to move closer to the bed, but Remy stopped them. 

"Don' get too close to 'im...y'ain' fam'ly an' he's gon' be disoriented an' prob'ly more'n a little spooked once he fully wakes up." 

Emil groaned again, his voice cracking, as he struggled to open his eyes and focus on his surroundings. When he caught sight of the group of strangers in the room with him, he nearly panicked. He tried to sit up, to find a means of escape, but failed, crying out in pain his body caused him when he moved too much. It occurred to him that he was at the Xavier Institute, because one of the strangers was obviously a mutant...or else the result of a science experiment that went horribly wrong. Then he saw Remy hovering near the rest of them and sighed with relief. 

"Remy..." Emil choked out. Remy moved so Emil could see him without having to move and even from the distance of a few feet, when Remy's red eyes locked onto Emil's blue ones, the knowledge was instantly shared. Something very serious had happened and Emil, having nowhere else to go, had come to Remy for help. 

"It'll be okay, Lapin. I promise." Remy assured his cousin softly. 

Emil shook his head slightly, unsure if Remy could keep that promise, when he didn't know what the trouble was to begin with. He tried to move again and winced in pain. His actions brought Hank closer. "You have some serious bruising and swelling on your face and your stomach, young man. I can give you some painkillers to help if you wish."   
  
Emil looked questioningly at Remy. Remy smiled and nodded. "It's okay, Emil. He's a doctor, an' a damned good one at dat." 

With a small frown, Emil looked back at Hank, who looked more like a character out of a fantasy story or a video game than a doctor, with his blue fur and general beast-like appearance and then raised his eyebrows at Remy. "You're kiddin', right?" 

"Actually, he isn't." Hank replied. "My name is Dr. Henry McCoy and I can assure you he is not lying." 

Emil sighed. "In dat case, painkillers would be good, t'anks..." 

Hank brought two small white pills and a glass of water to Emil's bedside and waited for the teenager to sit up before handing them to him. Emil dutifully swallowed the pills and drained the glass for good measure. When he was done, he took the opportunity to get a better look at the other people in the room. 

Aside from himself, Remy and Hank, there was a tall, slim man with brown hair wearing what appeared to be red-tinted sunglasses. To his left, there was an older, bald man in the coolest looking mode of transportation Emil had ever seen aside from a Stealth bomber. Standing closer to the bed was a slight young woman with red hair who looked so kind and concerned that it almost made Emil blush. And, leaning in the doorway where Remy had been earlier, was a short, stocky man with wild dark hair and a scowl on his hardened face. 

Remy saw that his cousin was studying the other people there and chuckled. "I s'pose you should be introduced to dem, neh? De man in de hoverchair is Professor Charles Xavier, de man who started dis here school dat you're in. Next to him is Scott Summers. De lovely lady beside you is Jean Grey, an'..." He noticed Logan for the first time and grinned. "De man in de doorway is Logan." 

"Bonjour..." Emil said. 

"We won't try to find out why you're here in the first place," Professor Xavier said with a smile. "Because Remy has made it clear that's his job and we'll respect that. However, do you know who beat you up so badly?" 

"Dunno who dey were...four guys...little older'n Remy an' me...but I do know why." Emil answered frankly. "Dey don' like mutants." 

"But you're not a mutant." Jean interjected. 

Emil looked at her. "I know. I told dem dat too, so dey asked me why I was comin' here den, if I wasn' a mutant, an' I told dem it was b'cause my cousin's here. So dey beat me up b'cause Remy's my cousin an' jus' happens to be a mutant. It's so stupid..." 

"What do you mean?" Scott asked. 

"I don' really see de reason for all dis hatred...Tante Mattie an' my father always taught me to be tolerant...I look at all'a you guys an' I know dat somehow you're all mutants, jus' like Remy is, but I don' see it dat way. T'me you're all human bein's, you're jus' diff'rent. An' it don' make you any better or worse dan me...but so many people don' see it dat way..." 

The X-men stood in silence for a moment, letting Emil's words sink in. Professor Xavier looked at Emil, kindness in his eyes. "If more people thought the way you do, there wouldn't be so much hatred in this world." 

Emil smiled briefly for the first time in over twenty-four hours. "Je sais." 

"Uhm, guys? If you don' mind, I'd like to talk to my cousin alone." Remy said. 

"Alright." Jean said, moving over and walking out of the MedLab with Scott. They were preceded by Logan, who had only really been there because he followed Remy after the latter's training session was over. Professor Xavier followed them and Hank smiled. 

"I'll be in my office, with the door closed. If either of you need me, just come get me." 

"T'anks Hank." Remy smiled in return. He was grateful that they were respecting his wishes. He knew that Emil wouldn't say a word about what was really going on if any of them were within earshot. Once they were officially alone, Remy turned to his cousin. "Okay, Lapin, spill it." 

***** 

Emil looked at Remy, finally allowing his grief to show in his eyes. He had been doing his best to hide it from the others, and it hadn't been easy, but he hoped he'd succeeded. "My father's dead, Remy..." With those words, everything he'd kept bottled up all day while he traveled came spilling out with the tears from his eyes. 

Remy's jaw dropped in shock. He sat down on the bed beside Emil and put an arm around his best friend's shaking shoulders. "What? What happened?" 

Emil took several deep breaths but was uanble to speak for a few moments. Remy waited patiently, knowing how difficult all this was for Emil. Finally, Emil spoke again, explaining his story to Remy around his quiet sobs. 

"Was comin' home from de library las' night after finishin' up dat hackin' program I been workin' on...an' when I got dere, I heard Papa an' Uncle Marcel fightin'...you know how dey're always doin' dat...dey didn' know I was dere...Papa said somethin' dat really made Uncle Marcel angry...an' he pulled a knife outta his uniform...an'...he stabbed Papa in de heart..." 

Emil completely broke down at that point, rocking back and forth on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably as if his heart was broken. Remy, feeling helpless and angry at the same time could do nothing except wrap his arms around his cousin and let him grieve. But he knew that wasn't everything. 

"Dat's not de whole story, is it..." 

Valiantly trying to regain his composure again, Emil shook his head, his blue eyes swimming with salty tears that were leaving tracks down his bruised face. "Non...Uncle Marcel caught me...knew I'd seen everythin'...said if I told anyone in de Guild de truth 'bout what happened...he'd kill me too...I didn' know where else to turn...Remy...I'm scared..." 

"Does anybody know you came here?" Remy had to ask. He was afraid that Emil had run off without telling anybody and that they were all over the place searching for him.   
  
Emil nodded. "I'm implusive, Remy, but I'm not stupid..." He sniffled. "I left a note for your father, tellin' him where I was goin', even if I didn' tell him why...also told him Tante Mattie prob'ly knew what had really happened...so even if Uncle Marcel lied...which I know he did...dey prob'ly know de diff'rence by now...but...Remy...what if he comes after me...?" 

Remy's red eyes flashed dangerously. "I ain' gon' let him hurt you, Emil, you know dat. An' I may have been kicked outta de Guild but dey'll all back me up on protectin' you too, so you don' have to worry. But I do have to call dem...tell dem you're okay..." 

Emil sighed. "I know." 

Remy grabbed the phone off a nearby table and brought it over to Emil's bed. He turned it on and dialed the number. The library was the only section of the Thieves Guild underground home that had a phone, and that was only because Minister Tome had stolen it and the line that went with it. The phone company never could figure out what had happened or where the phone line was being used at. It baffled them enough that they eventually gave up trying to figure it out. 

Within minutes, Tome had picked up the phone. Several other members of the Guild were there, waiting breathlessly, praying that Remy or Emil was on the other end of the line. "Hello?" He sounded gruff and mean even when he answered the phone. 

Remy rolled his eyes and Emil giggled, knowing that Tome had picked up the phone. "Bonjour Minister Tome. Dis is Remy. May I speak wit' my father, s'il vous plait?" 

"Oui." Tome replied and handed the receiver to Jean-Luc. "C'est Remy. He wants to speak wit' you." 

"T'ank God..." Jean-Luc breathed, taking the phone. "Remy? Please tell me Emil's dere..." 

"Yeah, Papa, he's here. Got beaten up by some guys but he'll be okay." 

"Can I talk to him?" Jean-Luc asked hopefully. 

"Sure." Remy handed the phone to Emil. 

Emil, his hand shaking, reached up and took the receiver from Remy. He wasn't entirely sure if Jean-Luc was angry at him for leaving or if he was just relieved he was okay or both. On top of that, he was wondering if the truth was out and what they were going to do with Marcel as punishment. "I'm sorry..." he whispered into the phone. 

"Don' be sorry, child. You've done nothin' wrong." Jean-Luc assured his nephew. 

"Do you know...?"   
  
Jean-Luc sighed. "Oui. He tried to tell us de Assassins did it, but you were right, Tante Mattie did know better. Dat fact explained why you left in such a hurry wit'out sayin' why. She told us 'bout him threatenin' you...everythin'. Are you okay?" 

Emil shook his head even though his uncle couldn't see him. "Non...not really..." He whispered. "What're you gon' do wit' him...?" 

"He's been kicked out of de Guild, Emil. As soon as I found out what he'd done, I called an emergency meetin' of de High Council an' we immediately voted to excommunicate him." Jean-Luc confirmed. "I arranged to have him followed, to make sure he didn't go after you up dere, so don't worry 'bout dat." 

"Okay..." 

"Since it's Friday now, why don' you stay up dere wit' Remy for de weekend?" Jean-Luc suggested, thinking that spending some time with Remy might help ease Emil's pain and fear somewhat. "I'll come up on Sunday to bring you home." 

"Okay..." Emil said again. "Remy'll have to ask first, t'ough..." 

"Of course. May I talk to him again?"  
  
"Uh-huh." Emil handed the phone back to Remy. "D'you t'ink dey'd mind if I stayed de weekend?" 

"Doubt it." Remy took the phone. "Oui Papa?" 

"Marcel's been excommunicated an' is bein' followed to make sure he doesn' try to go after Emil. I've suggested, if it's okay wit' de teachers dere of course, dat Emil stay wit' you for de weekend, an' I'll come up on Sunday to pick him up. Are you okay wit' dat, mon fils?" 

"Sure. Dey won' mind. I t'ink dey kinda like him already to be honest. But if dey do, I'll call you back." Remy agreed. "An' if Marcel does come here, don' worry...I already promised Emil I wouldn' let him hurt him." 

"Bien. I'll talk to you soon, Remy. Take care of him for us." 

Remy hung up the phone and smiled at Emil. "Looks like you're under Hank's care for de weekend." 

"What if dey say no?" 

"Dey won'. You're more charmin' dan I am...had 'em all hooked when you were talkin' 'bout bein' tolerant. But jus' to be sure..." Remy got up and went over to the intercom system near the door, pushing a button. "Professor?" 

"Yes Remy?" The Professor's voice came clearly over the system. 

"Is it okay if Emil stays here for de weekend? My father will come to pick him up on Sunday." 

"Certainly, Remy. We'd be glad to have him." 

"T'anks." Remy winked at Emil as he turned off the intercom. "Told ya." 

Emil crossed his eyes. "Yeah whatever." His stomach growled loudly and they both laughed. "I haven' eaten since lunchtime..." 

"Well, if you're up for a little walk, I could take you on a little tour of de mansion on our way to de kitchen for a late night snack." Remy suggested as they were joined by Hank, who had decided it was time to come out of his office to make sure everything was okay. 

Emil looked at Hank. "Can I? I'm really hungry." 

Hank smiled. "If you're feeling okay enough, I don't see why not. Just no running or otherwise over-stimulating activity." 

"Got it." Emil replied, getting up with only a slight wince. The painkillers were working. 

Fifteen minutes later, Emil and Remy were seated at the kitchen table making...and eating...peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and reminiscing over their childhood together. Before too long, Emil started yawning in spite of himself and he smiled sadly at Remy. 

"Now dat I'm full, I'm suddenly tired, go figure..." He said. "Can we go back to de MedLab now...?" 

"Sure." 

As they walked back to the MedLab in silence so they wouldn't disturb anybody, Emil couldn't help thinking about how lucky he was that he had Remy to turn to when he needed help. Once he was settled back in bed, he voiced his gratitude to his cousin. 

"Hey Remy? T'anks for bein' here...for always bein' here...whenever I need you. You're de best friend I could have." 

Remy smiled at Emil. "What goes 'round comes 'round, Lapin, you know dat. For as long as we've known each other, you've always been dere for me. Always been on my side even when no one else was. You're my best friend an' my cousin. It only make sense dat I be dere for you too. No matter what. Now get some sleep." 

Emil smiled and closed his eyes. "You too..." He murmured before drifting off into a dreamless slumber. 

Remy watched his cousin sleep for a few moments before settling down in a rather uncomfortable chair nearby and closing his own eyes. He knew Emil was safe, but just to be sure, he wasn't going to leave his side until Jean-Luc arrived to pick him up in two days' time. And if Marcel made any attempt to attack Emil, Remy was going to see to it that it didn't happen. He would keep his word and protect his friend from any danger that might threaten him. 

To Be Continued 

  



End file.
